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Woman Recovers Wages from Former Employer

RAYMONDVILLE – Juanita Cortez was on a mission. She was determined to collect wages owed to her by a former employerCortez said her last paycheck bounced twice. She reported the matter to state authorities, but got no results.CHANNEL 5 NEWS started asking questions.Cortez said Alegre Encuentro Adult Day Care Center owes her $580.99. She said her bank took the amount out of her account after the check bounced.The company told her to resubmit the check. It bounced a second time.“I was crying. I even called the office, and I couldn’t help it … I cried. Why did they do this to me a second time? You know, it was bad enough the first time,” Cortez said.Cortez filed a complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission. Officials with the agency told her they had too many cases. They said it would take six to nine months to get around to her case.“I didn’t know what I was going to do,” she said.CHANNEL 5 NEWS called the adult day care company.“She has to come in to the main office so we can make that good. I don’t think she’s come to the main office for that,” a person at the other end of the phone said.CHANNEL 5 NEWS Reporter Kirk Chaisson accompanied Cortez to the company’s office. She came out with a new check. This time she took it to their bank.Cortez came out of the bank with cash in hand.“I got it, thank God, all of it,” she said.